Flying Without Wings
by AshleyMarieHalliwell
Summary: AU HighSchool Fic. Destiel! Castiel grows up with a very religious family, but always knows he's different. He moves to Sioux Falls in his junior year and meets Dean Winchester, the one boy who can get under his skin and ruin his self control. Nothing will ever be the same again. Rating for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"C'mon, Castiel. You're going to make us late." Gabriel called to his brother, banging on his bedroom door obnoxiously.

"I will be downstairs shortly." Castiel responded back, his voice at it's normal soft volume. He stood with his back to the door, ears straining as listened to Gabriel's footsteps head down the hall and downstairs. Castiel let out a breath of relief, thankful to be alone again.

It was his first day at Sioux Falls High and he was nervous. Castiel knew better than to take his concerns to his family. They would tell him to suck it up, stop being a child and get on with it already.

But Castiel hated moving. He hated going to a new school and being the center of attention, even if it only lasted for a little while. It made his palms sweat and shake with anxiety and just generally made him feel miserable.

This was the fourth time Castiel had moved in his high school years so far, and he was only a junior. He hated the constant switching of schools, and how he never settled in one place long enough to make a steady group of friends.

Although, Castiel pondered as he gathered his books and zipped up his backpack, it wasn't really the amount of time he spent in one place that was the problem. It was what he did in that amount of time. Which was usually nothing.

Castiel was incredibly shy. He knew that, and felt no particular shame in it, though it could be extremely annoying. He was too shy to go up to someone and introduce himself, let alone try to make friends with anyone. And so far, no one had found anything interesting enough about him to make the effort to be friends with him, so he was alone more often than not.

Castiel didn't really mind being alone though. He had learned throughout his life that it was usually better to be quiet and alone then to speak your mind. Speaking your mind and expressing how you felt only led to trouble, which, of course, Uriel was a great example of.

Castiel's eyes widened at the thought and he snatched up his backpack and bolted out the door as if burned. He wasn't allowed to think about Uriel, no one was.

On the ride to school that morning, crammed into the backseat beside Gabriel and their backpacks while their mother and Michael rode up front, Castiel struggled to control his anxiety and redirect his thoughts to safer topics.

Unfortunately, all he could think about was how awkward today was probably going to be and Castiel literally cringed away when they pulled up to the school.

Before he could get out of the car and escape the crippling enviroment, his mother turned around and said, "Castiel, be sure to ask your teachers if there is any immediate make up work you need to do. If you have to stay after school today, call home first and make sure you're back by supper."

Castiel nodded, uttering a soft, "Yes mother." She nodded and unlocked the doors, driving swiftly away the second Castiel and Gabriel hopped out.

Castiel stared up at the large, brick building with trepidation. His normally blank expression must have faltered somewhat because Gabriel put an arm around his little brother's shoulders and said, "Don't worry little bro, you'll be fine."

Castiel started at the contact, as it was very unusual for anyone in his family to show physical affection. Thankfully, it was over quickly and Gabriel gave him a quick smile before heading into the school.

After taking a deep, soothing breath, Castiel marched purposefully towards the building and headed to his first class. His day went by pretty much as he expected, with the majority of students showing curious interest in him. He answered their questions vaguely, feeling immensely uncomfortable with all the attention he was getting.

Nothing extraordinary happened though, and at the end of the day Castiel found himself in the office, calling home to tell his mother that his science teacher agreed to work with him after school to catch him up on a few things.

Once he had permission Castiel walked stiffly into his science class and sat down in the front row, pulling out his textbook and notebook disinterestedly. It wasn't that Castiel disliked school, he was actually rather fond of it. He just hated how the constant moving messed up his studies and made it so he had to stay after school to catch up.

He spent a few minutes idly going over the chapter he was supposed to be getting help with when a slight commotion at the door caught his attention.

"You're supposed to give me a ride home, Dean!" A small boy was saying, his face screwed up in irritation. He was glaring at an older boy, his mop of brown hair falling into his eyes.

"Well, it's not like I planned on getting detention Sammy." The older boy, Dean, said, shrugging his shoulders. Castiel's eyes trailed along his body and he felt an instant appreciation for this boy's body.

The second the thought appeared in Castiel's mind he shook his head roughly and refocused on the chapter. Sharp pin pricks of shame doused his body and Castiel sat completely still, not a single muscle moving as he mentally berated himself for the slip up. Castiel mentally screamed at himself that he was wrong, sinful. Castiel couldn't keep letting himself slip. He couldn't think this way, or else he was going to burn in hell and he would shame his entire family. If anyone found out he was having these thoughts...

Castiel shivered, his body quaking with fear. If his family found out that he was... wrong, they would murder him. He hated it, this wrongness inside him. Castiel didn't understand why he thought like this, why he felt like this. All he knew was that it was wrong, and that he could never act on these feelings. Never.

Flipping a page, Castiel determinedly blocked out the rest of Dean and Sam's conversation and focused only on his book. Dean came in and sat down next to Castiel, huffing out an irritated breath.

Castiel can literally feel the heat coming from Dean next to him and he struggles not to fidget in his seat. He sternly reminds himself that he feels nothing for this boy. Dean is a boy. Castiel is a boy. Therefore, he feels nothing for him. No attraction. None what-so-ever.

* * *

"You were supposed to give me a ride home Dean!" Sam whined, giving his brother one of his patented bitch faces. Dean rolled his eyes at his brother, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not like I planned on getting detention Sammy." Dean said unapologetically. This certainly wasn't his first detention, especially from this teacher. Dean smirked as the thought brought up memorable past detentions with this particular teacher. It had become a sort of struggle of wills between the two and Dean never backed down. It wasn't in his nature.

"Come on, Dean." Sam scoffed, reaching up to sweep his bangs out of his eyes. "You always try to piss Mr. Morgan off."

"Hey, he starts it." Dean defended himself, his hands clenching into fists in his pockets. Mr. Morgan was one of the most stiff, old-fashioned people Dean had ever met. The guy had a serious problem with anything that didn't fit his certain set of values, including gays. And Dean, being an out-and-proud gay, really seemed to get under his skin.

It wasn't Dean's fault though. Dean wasn't going to be ashamed of who he was, no matter who said otherwise. Most of this school was actually fairly tolerant. There was a great GSA that Dean usually went to and same-sex couples could buy prom tickets and everything. That didn't mean there still weren't a few jerks around though. It was just Dean's responsibility to make those jerks think twice before messing with him, or anyone else like him.

"Yeah, I know." Sam admitted, sighing. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

"Nah, you should call Bobby. I might be a while." Dean said and Sam nodded.

"Alright. Try not to goad him too much today, alright?" Sam pleaded.

Dean smirked and said, "Sure, Sammy." Sam sighed, knowing Dean's expression never amounted to anything good and walked off down the crowded hall. Dean sighed once Sam was gone and turned to walk into the classroom, preparing for an hour of boredom when he stopped.

There was a boy sitting in the front row, his nose in a textbook. There was something odd about his posture though, Dean noted as he walked over and sat beside him. He was too rigid, too stiff. It was unnatural.

Dean frowned, wondering if he had gotten detention too. "Hey, Mr. Morgan stick you with detention too?" Dean asked amicably, giving the kid a small smile.

The boy raised his head from the textbook with a decidedly blank expression that frankly startled Dean. He had never seen anyone look so apathetic before in his life and it raised goose-flesh on his arms, making him shift uncomfortably.

They made eye contact after a moment and Dean's eyes widened, a shiver of heat running through his body. The eyes he was staring into were a beautiful, ocean blue. They were swimming with all the emotions that couldn't be expressed on this boy's face and right now his eyes screamed of fear and self-depreciation.

Dean frowned, wondering what could be upsetting the guy so much. He considered the possibility that he was just over reading, but he dismissed the thought almost immediately. Dean was a people person. Seriously, he could read people a thousand times easier than any book.

"No." The voice was so small and soft that Dean almost missed it. Would have missed it, if he hadn't seen the guy's lips move.

"Oh." Dean said lamely. Clearing his throat, he added, "What are you in for, then?"

The boy's gorgeous eyes flickered down to his textbook before looking back up at Dean. He didn't make eye contact again, instead choosing to stare at some point over Dean's shoulder. "Mr. Morgan has some make up work that I am required to do." He said, his tone unusually formal.

Dean simply nodded and looked around the room, wondering where the teacher was. He was grateful that the jerk hadn't shown up yet, but he also sort of wished that he would come and interrupt the awkward small talk Dean was now stuck making.

"Oh." Dean said again. He shook his head, flushing slightly and said, "I'm Dean."

The boy's eyes flickered into Dean's for a second before looking away again, and Dean couldn't help but feel shocked at the depths within them. The guy was beautiful, and Dean didn't find a lot of guys he could describe that way. There was something different about this boy though, and Dean felt an instant attraction to him.

"Castiel." Dean's eyebrows lifted at the unusual name, but he smiled at Castiel anyways. He had never heard that name before, but something about it sounded right on the boy sitting next to him. He looked like a Castiel.

Suddenly, the name sparked a recognition in Dean and he asked, "Hey, you must be one of the new guys, right?"

Before Castiel had the chance to answer, Mr. Morgan walked back in the classroom, shutting the door audibly behind him. "Mr. Winchester, what do you think you're doing?"

"It's called talking." Dean snarked, glaring at the man.

Mr. Morgan glared back, his eyes narrowing in thinly veiled disgust. "This is detention, not recess. I want you in the back of the room, now."

Dean rolled his eyes but had no choice. He stood up and gave Castiel a quick look, but Castiel's attention was already refocused on the book. Sighing, Dean made his way to the back of the class and sat down, his eyes on the clock.

Mr. Morgan went over to help Castiel with his chapter and Dean couldn't help but watch the new kid. He was definitely gorgeous, with soft, almost feminine features and wide, innocent blue eyes. Dean was attracted to him immediately, but he couldn't tell if Castiel felt the same.

He was shy, and very awkward too. But it kind of just made him more adorable. Dean wanted to talk to him, get to know him. Maybe he could offer to show him around the school or something since Castiel's new. Dean planned on talking to Castiel once he got out of detention, but when he left Castiel was still working with Mr. Morgan sitting right next to him, so he had no option except to leave without a word.

Dean walked out to the parking lot and slid into his classic 1967 Chevy Impala. As he drove home, his thoughts revolved around the new and mysterious Castiel. There was something about the look in his eyes that had Dean worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.

Castiel was beautiful, that much was obvious. He had a lithe body with no bulging muscles, but a firm frame. His electric eyes were almost excruciatingly expressive and it made Dean wonder what he was hiding. Why was it that Castiel could only show those emotions through his eyes, but felt the need to keep his face closed off?

Dean was intrigued by Castiel and he was determined to get to know him. First thing tomorrow morning, Dean would find Castiel and talk to him.

* * *

After Mr. Morgan released him from the science room Castiel decided to walk home. It was only about an hour's walk and he needed to time to think.

Castiel had been unable to pay attention after his encounter with Dean. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the image of Dean's friendly smile out of his mind, the way his full lips parted when he spoke.

Scorching tendrils of shame curled themselves around Castiel's body and he struggled to push those thoughts aside, his heart rate picking up fearfully. He knew how wrong it was to have those thoughts. Castiel knew that it was wrong and sinful to have those types of feelings for another man.

He had to learn how to ignore it. Castiel had been doing it his whole life. Ever since he first found out that he was... different, he struggled to hide it, and therefore himself, from his family. He learned how to remain perfectly still and calm in tense situations and he maintained a tight control on his thoughts to keep them from straying toward those unsavory topics that Castiel knew would get him in so much trouble.

For some reason, no matter what Castiel did he couldn't stop thinking about Dean. The look in Dean's eyes when they met, the way he had tried to start a conversation, his unusually pretty features...

"Stop that." Castiel growled aloud, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. He had to stop this. He couldn't keep thinking about this one boy. Castiel knew that his life would never be the way his parents wanted it to be. Castiel would never be happy married to a woman. But it was what his parents expected so he would marry and have children and be a responsible church goer. There was no other option for him, it was his destiny.

When Castiel finally made it home, he felt somewhat calmer and was determined to keep his thoughts under control. Dean would not enter his mind again, it just wasn't going to happen. Castiel wouldn't allow such a blasphemous intrusion.

The instant Castiel walked inside his home he felt his heart clench with terror. His mother was right in front of him, making dinner, and Castiel felt as if she could know every impure thought he had today just by looking at him. He froze, his hand clenching the door knob tightly until she turned around and looked at him, her piercing eyes boring into his frighteningly.

"Well, close the door, Castiel." She snapped, giving him an irritated look. Castiel hurried to obey and she nodded, then turned back around to continue making their supper. "You're late. Go help Gabriel set the table."

"Yes mother." Castiel responded, eager to leave her presence.

Castiel hurried into the dining room and let out a relieved breath at the sight of Gabriel, with his back to the door, clearly procrastinating setting the table. Sometimes, Castiel wondered how his brother managed to survive in their family since he really didn't seem to hold much belief in their values. Still, Castiel mused, over the years he had become excellent at avoiding their parents and keeping secrets, so that must help.

"Hello, Gabriel." Castiel said quietly and Gabriel whipped around, a hand reaching up to clutch his chest dramatically.

"Castiel! You scared me." Gabriel admitted, his voice louder than Castiel's but still quiet enough so that no one else in their family would hear him. Gabriel was sneaking his pre-dinner candy bar, and his fingers were covered in the chocolately substance. Castiel frowned disapprovingly and glanced behind him to make sure no one was about to come in. Gabriel rolled his eyes and began licking his fingers obnoxiously. "Relax bro, no one's going to know."

"You should be more careful, Gabriel." Castiel admonished his brother softly as he went about setting the dining table.

Gabriel shrugged and finished off his fingers, then slipped the now empty candy bar into his pocket for later disposal. Gabriel walked over to his brother and followed him around the table as he set it, hovering but not helping. "How was your first day?"

"It went well." Castiel replied tonelessly, feeling a slight jolt at the question. Dean was the first thing that popped into his mind and Castiel struggled desperately to squash the thought. So much for that control he thought he had.

"You sure?" Gabriel asked, brows furrowed. "You look a little... upset. Somebody I gotta beat up for ya?" Gabriel asked playfully, reaching out and gently punching his brother's shoulder.

Castiel gave Gabriel a small, amused smile and shook his head. "No, I have not run into any bullies yet." Castiel enjoyed talking to Gabriel, he was his favorite of all his siblings. Castiel felt like he could connect to Gabriel the most because he was the most like him. He disobeyed their parents frequently, but the only reason he got away with it was because he was an expert at not getting caught. Castiel looked up to him and always wondered if there was some way he could be more like Gabriel. But the mere thought of disobeying his parents made Castiel quake with fear, and he knew that there was no way he would even try to go against his parents.

Before they could continue their conversation, Anna walked in and soon after her Michael. Their mother came in shortly after with dinner and they sat down together to eat. Their father wasn't home that night, which really wasn't that surprising. He was a very well known and out spoken priest, and he frequently traveled around to give speeches and sermons around the US. That was why Castiel tended to move often, because a new church was always calling begging for his father's help, and his father could never resist.

Castiel was glad that his father wasn't here tonight. It was a terrible thought to have, Castiel knew, but he couldn't help it. He was so terrified that if his father were here, he would be able to tell in an instant that Castiel's thoughts weren't as unblemished as they seemed. Castiel's mother may have missed it, but he knew that his father wouldn't.

His father would be home in a week at the earliest, a month at the latest, and Castiel vowed to have a tight grip on his thoughts and emotions before then. He would just avoid Dean Winchester at all costs. _Easy_, Castiel thought. He could do this.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hey everyone! I'm glad that this story has gotten some good reception so far, I've seen more notifications then I expected about being followed or favorited I just wanted to say thank you and that I really appreciate all of this support! Also, could you please review? Reviews will make me smile :)

* * *

The morning after Dean and Castiel's impromptu meeting, Dean woke up with an unusual eagerness and rushed through his morning shower. After his shower Dean scrutinized his hair before deciding that the messy- just got out of bed look worked for him. He dressed in a pair of casually faded blue jeans, a black tee-shirt and a brown plaid button up shirt with his usual sneakers.

Once Dean was all clean and dressed he bounded down the stairs, singing AC/DC's Back in Black at the top of his lungs. He skidded to a halt in front of the kitchen table before collapsing into his seat. He barely managed to mutter a 'thank you' before he started devouring his breakfast, his body vibrating with barely suppressed energy.

Bobby and Sam, who were already seated at the table, stared at Dean with wide eyes. They exchanged an incredibly confused and disturbed look, both shrugging at each other before turning to stare open-mouthed at Dean again.

Dean finally stopped shoveling food into his mouth long enough to notice the incredibly strange looks he was getting. He swallowed harshly and looked down at his clothes self consciously. "What?"

"What's got you in such a good mood?" Bobby asked bluntly, raising his eyebrows.

Dean shrugged, picking up his fork and digging into his eggs again. "It's just a good day, that's all." Dean spoke around a mouthful of food and Sam frowned in disgust.

"You hate getting up in the morning, Dean." Sam reminded his brother helpfully.

Dean rolled his eyes at his little brother and said, "C'mon Sammy, can't I be in a good mood for once?"

"...I guess." Sam replied hesitantly. It wasn't as if Dean was never in a good mood, far from it of course. Dean was a generally happy person- outwardly at least. He was always smiling and laughing, making crude jokes and teasing others. He just was not a morning person. Never had been, and Sam never thought he'd live to see the day when he was one.

"Thanks for your permission Sammy." Dean said sarcastically. He finished eating with a flourish of his fork and then downed his glass of orange juice.

"Dean, do you have a GSA meeting today?" Bobby asked suddenly. Dean nodded and Bobby turned to Sam, saying, "I can't pick you up after school today, kid. I got a client coming down to look at that old '94 Ford Truck in the yard."

Sam nodded, unconcerned, and finished his breakfast as well. "That's alright, Bobby. I'll just go to the meeting today."

Dean stood up and put his dishes in the sink, then grabbed his backpack off the back of his chair and hurried out the door, calling over his shoulder, "Later, Bobby. Move your ass Sam, we don't want to be late!"

"Since when do you care about being late?" Sam demanded, sounding vaguely harassed. He gave Bobby an incredulous look and Bobby shrugged, smiling. Sam sighed and grabbed his backpack as well and said, "Bye Bobby."

"Be good, boys." Bobby called after them. He walked Sam to the door and shut it behind them, shaking his head at Dean's unusual attitude as they left. The boy was up to something. Bobby could only just pray that that something wasn't too bad.

* * *

Castiel breathed a sigh of relief when he got to school the next day. Riding in the car with his family and just being around them in general was incredibly stressful. It was nice to be able to get away from them, even if it was only for a little while.

He walked into the large building and carefully maneuvered himself through the halls until he settled himself in his homeroom. He kept his eyes focused on his desk and refused to allow his eyes to wander for the rest of the period. Castiel repeated this technique throughout the rest of his classes, only looking up to glance at the board before hurriedly directing his gaze back down.

Castiel figured that, this way, his attention couldn't wander from his school work. No unsavory thoughts could catch his attention and there would be no distractions. All he had to do was keep himself busy and focused on his work and he would be fine. He just couldn't let his mind wander.

It seemed to be working out pretty well for him, and by the time lunch rolled around Castiel was feeling slightly more relaxed. He hadn't thought about anything that could be considered sinful or impure all day, and he was now completely confident that he once again had a firm grip on his emotions and thoughts.

Castiel collected his lunch and steered himself into an empty seat. All of the interest over him had died down after his first day, and he was once again left to his own devices. Castiel often preferred it this way. Solitude gave him more time to think and observe the world around him. He would take that over trying to interact with others any day.

Apparently, the fates were against him today. Castiel hadn't sat down for more than ten minutes when another metal tray was clanking down across from him, and the boy with the pretty green eyes from last night was lowering himself into a seat, a friendly smile on his face.

Castiel froze, his mouth going dry. The book he had been reading flopped shut as he took his hand off of it and Castiel gazed at it desperately. What was this guy doing here? Did he know what he was doing to Castiel? Was this some sort of temptation test?

"Hey, you're Castiel, right?" Dean asked, seemingly oblivious to Castiel's discomfort. "I'm Dean. We met last night, remember?"

There was a long, awkward pause where Dean waited for Castiel to answer. Castiel's eyes flickered wildly over the book's cover, his tray, Dean's tray, the wall over Dean's shoulder, the students passing by. Anything and everything that wasn't Dean's face. The face that played in his dreams last night with it's soft features and deep, moss green eyes.

Castiel opened his mouth and licked his lips nervously, his dry tongue running over cracked lips uselessly. He cleared his throat before finally responding, "I remember." His voice was barely a whisper, but it was all he could force out.

That didn't seem to deter Dean any and he nodded, a small smile gracing his features. Castiel's eyes snapped onto Dean's perfect, salmon lips instantly. Dean had an extraordinary smile. Even a small grin like the one he was sporting now could make an entire room light up, and Castiel felt his heart jump with suppressed attraction.

"How did your lesson go last night? Mr. Morgan can be a real hard-ass man, making you stay after on your first day like that was totally uncool." Dean said, his tone sympathetic for Castiel's plight.

If only he knew what Castiel's real problem was at this moment. He was making everything so much worse just by sitting there. Just by existing. All of the carefully built self control was shattered in an instant and Castiel couldn't help himself any longer, he couldn't stop it.

His eyes lifted from Dean's lips to the angular planes of his face. He had fantastic bone structure, one that every model would envy. His eyes had an unusual spark in them that Castiel felt a deep longing to understand. He wanted to talk to Dean, learn everything there was to know about this man and then some. He wanted to be with him, in every way that he knew was wrong.

"Castiel?" Dean questioned, his brow furrowed. He took his bottom lip in between his teeth and Castiel watched in fascination as he rolled it around for a bit before releasing it with a quiet _pop_.

Swallowing audibly, Castiel answered, "I apologize. I was... reading when you sat down." Castiel gestured to the book helplessly, hoping that Dean didn't see his frankly horrendous lie for what it was.

Dean glanced over at the book and snorted, his lips stretching in another smile. "You're a book lover, huh? My little brother's just like that. Sammy's always got his nose in a book. It's hard to snap the kid out of it." Dean admitted, shaking his head at his little brother.

Castiel frowned, wondering why Dean seemed to think that was strange. "You don't like books?" He asked curiously. Reading was a huge part of Castiel's life. He grew up reading books. They were his only escape from his family, and sometimes escaping into another reality, even if it was only for an hour or two at a time, made it just a little easier to survive.

Dean shrugged and loaded up his fork with various foods, then shoved the entire concoction into his mouth. Castiel raised his eyebrows, unable to stop the small smile that rose on his face. Gabriel was the same way with his food, whenever their parents weren't watching.

Dean noticed Castiel's small smile and grinned around his mouthful of food. He waited a second until it was all swallowed before answering. "It's never really been my thing." He admitted casually. His eyes drifted from Castiel's face to his tray and his face instantly became incredulous. His mouth dropped open and he looked back up at Castiel, then down to his tray, then back up again.

Castiel shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his tray, wondering what was wrong. "What?" He asked quietly, comparing his tray to Dean's. Dean's tray was loaded with the most fattening foods that Castiel imagined the cafeteria served. There were chips, chocolate milk, and a burger loaded up with condiments. There was also a package of peanut M&M's that looked like it was brought from home rather than bought at school. Castiel's tray was far less adventurous. He had a small salad with chicken, an apple and a carton of whole milk.

Dean opened his mouth to speak and choked, apparently horrified. Castiel fidgeted in his seat, very unused to having this type of attention trained on him. "Dude... how can you survive off that food?!" Dean exclaimed, his voice raising with the horror of it all.

"I... this meal is very nutritious." Castiel defended his food selection weakly, giving a small shrug of his shoulders.

Dean pushed his own tray away for a moment and rested his palms flat on the table, shaking his head. His face was pinched in a pained expression and Castiel couldn't help chuckling slightly at the melodramatic reaction.

"You need real food." Dean declared immediately. "Here, take some." Dean grabbed a handful of peanut M&M's and deposited them onto Castiel's tray.

Castiel stared at the small candy pieces nervously. He looked away from his table and scanned the room, not putting it past his mother to be able to find out about this even though she didn't know anyone at this school except for himself and Gabriel.

"I can't eat candy." Castiel tried to decline politely, his face flushing with embarrassment as he said it.

"Why not?" Dean asked, frowning.

"Uh..." Castiel trailed off awkwardly. He was 17 years old. He was certainly not going to tell Dean that the reason he didn't eat candy was because his parents didn't allow it. He had some pride after all. And, besides, Dean chose to sit down with him. He didn't have to come search him out after yesterday. Plus, Castiel bargained with himself, if he ate the candy then maybe Dean would go away so Castiel could stop having these improper thoughts about him.

Even as Castiel thought it, his heart gave a desperate lurch. He didn't want to stop thinking about Dean. He didn't want Dean to leave either. Maybe Castiel could learn to control his thoughts and he and Dean could just be friends. Nothing bad would come out of it. Castiel could control himself. He could.

Castiel looked down at the small pieces of candy in front of him and carefully took one into his hand. He glanced at Dean, who grinned wildly at him, and Castiel plucked it into his mouth, chewing it appreciatively.

It was one of the best things he had ever tasted. "This is delicious." He said, and made quick work of the rest of the candies. Castiel had the sudden urge to lick his fingers afterwards, and he let out a quiet laugh at the memories of Gabriel that invoked.

"You like them?" Dean asked, his face practically lighting up.

Castiel nodded. "Very much. Thank you."

"You're welcome!" Dean exclaimed happily. He reclaimed his tray and dug in. For the next ten minutes of lunch he and Castiel ate together, sometimes in comfortable silence and sometimes talking. Dean was usually the one to do the talking, and he regaled Castiel with a few highly amusing stories about him and his brother.

When the bell rung, Dean turned to glare at the clock and frowned, clearly not ready to leave. Castiel couldn't help but feel disappointed as well. He had actually had a good time with Dean.

Dean was incredibly charismatic and his personality was unusually charming. He didn't seem to mind the way Castiel's voice could barely be heard when he spoke, or the way he frowned whenever Dean mentioned a movie or TV show. Castiel wasn't allowed to watch a lot of TV or movies, a fact which promptly horrified Dean when he found out.

There was something enigmatic about Dean that drew Castiel to him. Dean's exterior personality was very charming. He was constantly laughing or joking, and seemed to be one of the happiest people Castiel had ever known.

But internally, Castiel could sense that there was more going on. There was something in his eyes that said that Dean knew sadness and pain, and Castiel couldn't help but wonder what happened to him.

"Hey, this is my cell number." Dean said, shoving a piece of paper at Castiel. Castiel fumbled with it before getting a good grip on it and putting it carefully in his pocket.

"I don't have a cell phone." Castiel told Dean, feeling regret over that fact for the first time in his life.

Dean frowned, apparently regretting that fact to. "Oh. Well, that's okay. We'll talk more at lunch tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, that sounds nice." Castiel answered without thinking. Dean grinned at him before hurrying off down the hallway, waving a quick goodbye as he went.

Castiel stared after him for a long moment, the corners of his lips drooping now that Dean's infectiously happy presence was gone.

In a single lunch period Dean had managed to not only make Castiel smile, but made him laugh. And, on top of that, he got him to disobey his parents, even though it was just to eat some candy.

This was not going to end well. Castiel knew that without a shadow of a doubt. Castiel gathered up his books and backpack and headed off to his next class, his face filled with images of Dean. The way his eyes glinted when the sunlight streaming in front the window hit them just right. They way his smile stretched his lips to the breaking point and created cute little dimples on his cheeks. The adorable casual, messy style of his hair. His perfectly toned body. This way his voice sounded when he spoke, deep for a high school junior yet simultaneously comforting and warm. The way his voice made Castiel feel whenever he spoke.

Castiel shook his head roughly and slammed himself down into his seat, his heart beating wildly in his chest. His eyes darted around the room, terrified that someone would be able to know what he was thinking just by looking at him. Castiel carefully rearranged his expression until it was completely blank and took a deep breath, willing his heart rate to slow down. If his family found out what he was thinking, they would kill him. He couldn't let anyone find out about these thoughts. Castiel would drown in them before he would admit to them.

* * *

Dean drifted through his afternoon classes that day, more uninterested in the subjects than usual. He couldn't stop thinking about Castiel. When Dean first sat down, he was sure that Castiel was going to tell him to leave him alone. He looked seriously freaked out and Dean had no idea why.

Dean wondered if he did something wrong at first. Should he have asked if that seat was taken? But he waited across the room for a few minutes and it didn't look like Castiel was waiting for anyone, so it seemed safe to sit down.

And no one else had come by the table the entire time they were sitting there. Dean wondered a lot about Castiel. He had gorgeous features and an unusually deep voice that really didn't match them. His voice was so soft though that it was easy to miss if you weren't straining to hear every word.

Dean knew that there was more to him than just shyness. He had some sort of fear in him that made Dean feel a protectiveness toward him. Dean's hands clenched into fists when he thought about what could have instilled so much fear into Castiel- enough so that he was almost too afraid to eat some freaking candy.

He watched Castiel's face closely during the entire lunch period, studying his reactions to what Dean was saying. It was how Dean got to know people, he always had a talent for reading others. But there was something about Castiel that was so closed off, it made him so hard to read.

But Dean could read him a little bit. Enough to see that Castiel was listening to everything he was saying with rapt attention. Enough to know that the small smiles Castiel gave and that one quick laugh were precious, unusual events.

Dean left his last class a few minutes early so he could head to the gym and set up for their weekly GSA meeting. He was president of the club, a fact which Sam teases him about endlessly. Dean didn't care how many times Sam called him King of the Gays though, because being president of this club actually came with a few perks. Like being able to leave class early, for example.

Dean went about his usual routine and set up a snack table in the back, then started pulling out the bleachers for everyone to sit on. Today they were covering the very touchy topic about abusive relationships.

Dean didn't really enjoy talking about the really sensitive subjects, and as President he frequently passed that responsibility onto others.

"Dean!" A voice called from behind him. Before Dean could turn around a pair of thin arms were wrapping themselves around him and squeezing tight.

"What the fu- Madison!" Dean exclaimed, laughing. He maneuvered himself around in her arms and hugged her back, laughing.

She bounced back and grinned at him, her blue eyes sparkling with mischief. "So, guess what?"

"What?" Dean asked, passing her a stack of pamphlets that she could pass out to everyone once the meeting was started.

"I asked Taylor out and she said yes!" Madison squealed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

"That's great!" Dean said, chuckling slightly at her enthusiasm Madison was a freshman, and Sam's best friend. They've known each other since second grade, and Sam was actually the first person Madison revealed her sexuality to.

"Do I hear something about hot lesbian action?!" One of Dean's friends, Marcus, asked. He walked up to them with a smirk, his normally dark eyes outlined with eyeliner.

Madison punched Marcus in the arm and ran off to find Sam now that the gym was almost full. Dean rolled his eyes at Marcus and walked over to the table where he and the other usual speakers talked.

"What?" Marcus asked, his smirk shifting into a mischievous grin.

"You're bad." Dean said, smirking as well.

"What are you gonna do about it? Spank me?" Marcus asked with an over-the-top wink.

Dean snorted and said, "Don't tempt me."

"Hey Dean! Who's talking today?" Another of Dean's friends and the VP of the GSA asked. Her name was Jo and she and her mother, Ellen, were actually close family friend's of Dean and Sam's.

"You wanna do it?" Dean asked her, his tone just shy of pleading.

Jo rolled her eyes, flicking her honey blonde hair out of her face. "Sure, Dean." Dean let out a grateful breath and quickly ushered her, the secretary of the GSA and the treasurer over to the main table.

The meeting went well and before Dean knew it he was walking out to his car with Sam by his side. They kept up a steady stream of conversation as they walked, just discussing their days and general lives.

When they got in the car, Sam turned to Dean and asked, "Were you sitting with one of the new kids at lunch today?"

Dean licked his lips, Castiel's expressive sea-blue eyes popping into his mind immediately. Dean cleared his throat, flushing, and said, "Yeah. His name's Castiel."

Sam raised his eyebrows at the name and asked, "Castiel? Like the angel?"

"Huh?" Dean asked, giving Sam a strange look. He pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, the drive from school to home just a few minutes long.

"Castiel's the name of an angel in the bible." Sam said, shrugging.

Dean gave his brother a look and shook his head at him in mock dismay. "You are an encyclopedia of weirdness."

"Dean-" Sam started, giving his older brother a seething look.

"Chill, Sammy." Dean said, grinning at his little brother. He reached over and pushed his brother gently, causing Sam to laugh and push him back.

"His family must be really religious." Sam continued their conversation once the shoving fight was over.

"Yeah, it sounded like it. Sammy, they don't let him eat any junk food!" Dean exclaimed, sounding absolutely scandalized. He pulled up to Singer's Salvage Yard and parked in his usual spot. He and Sam hopped out of the car and walked towards to the house together. Sam was giving Dean a thoroughly scrutinizing look and Dean flushed under the attention. "What?" Dean finally asked.

"Do you like him?" Sam demanded, a slow smile creeping onto his face.

Dean immediately flushed, his cheeks heating up to an unnatural temperature. "No!"

"You have a crush on him!" Sam exclaimed gleefully, and took off running towards the house. "Bobby, Dean has a crush!"

"I do not!" Dean yelled, chasing after his brother.

"Dean and Castiel sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love-" Sam taunted happily, bounding up the stairs and in the house.

"Shut up, Sam!" Dean shouted, horrified, and ran after his brother, mentally going over the many different ways he was going to make Sam pay for this.

* * *

So, that's the end of Chapter 2! **Review Please!**


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey everyone, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review! And just in case anyone was confused, the line breaks indicate POV changes between Dean and Castiel.

_Italics are memories_

* * *

**A Week Later**

Castiel wandered into the lunch room after his fourth period class, his eyes searching out Dean. It had become a routine for the two of them to have lunch together, at the same table, just the two of them.

He resisted the company at first. The first few days Castiel would sit there tensely and stiffly, silently praying that Dean would go away and leave him alone. Castiel didn't like the thoughts that Dean brought out in him, and the feelings were even worse. They terrified Castiel, made him afraid to go home after school.

For the first time in his entire life, Dean was making Castiel question everything. He made Castiel question the beliefs of his parents, the food he ate, the music he listened to. Dean was never mean or rude about these things, though it was part of his personality to make incredibly lewd jokes- a fact which had nearly caused Castiel to choke on his salad.

Simply put, being around Dean scared Castiel. But it didn't stop him from sitting with him during lunch, or talking to him during the two classes they shared.

"Hey Cas!" Dean shouted from their table, waving to get his attention.

A small smile tugged at the corners of Castiel's mouth and he walked over silently, nodding at Dean. Dean gave Castiel the nickname 'Cas' on the third day they had lunch together. It had just slipped out, without Dean even noticing, and it wasn't until the next day that Castiel had a chance to ask him about it.

_"Dean, could I ask you something?" Castiel had asked, his eyes fluttering between Dean's intently._

_"Sure, Cas. What's up?" Dean asked around a mouthful of the cafeteria's apple pie. _

_"I was wondering why you call me that." Castiel said nervously. He didn't want to insult Dean, and he actually kind of like the shortened version of his name. He had just never had a nickname before. It felt nice though, like every time Dean said it Castiel could feel his affection for him, and it was comforting in a terrifying and unfamiliar way. _

_"Call you what?" Dean asked, his eyes squinting as he thought over Cas's question. "Oh, Cas? It's just a nickname. If you don't like it..." Dean trailed off, his tone very much suggesting that he hoped Cas did like it. _

_"I don't mind. It's... nice." Cas admitted quietly, smiling. Dean grinned widely and reached across the table to clap Cas on the shoulder. Cas flinched instinctively, still unused to touches that weren't harmful, or from Gabriel, but smiled at Dean through his discomfort. He really did like that nickname. _

"Hello Dean." Cas greeted his friend as he sat down. Cas set his tray down, then extended his hand for the habitual exchange of peanut M&M's. Dean gave him a handful every lunch, and it was something that Cas looked forward to very much.

"Hey Cas." Dean said, handing over the M&M's happily. "What's up?"

"Nothing of particular interest." Cas said honestly, shrugging. There really wasn't very much that went on in Cas's life, and he frequently allowed Dean to steer the conversation instead.

"You always say that." Dean said with an affectionate shake of the head. Dean took one of his M&M's and threw it playfully at Cas. Cas grabbed it and popped it into his mouth, smiling at Dean. No way was he going to waste one of these delicious things by throwing it back. He picked up a piece of lettuce from his plate and threw that at Dean instead.

That seemed to be an excellent choice, because Dean screeched at the top of his lungs and ducked to avoid it. Cas laughed, a hand covering his mouth in an effort to stifle the sound. Dean turned to look at the innocuous piece of lettuce from where it landed on the floor and he turned back to glare at Cas, his eyes swimming with mirth.

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed, his mock glare turning into a full blown smile at the sight in front of him. Cas was leaning forward with his elbows on the table, a hand clapped over his mouth and his entire body shaking with laughter.

"Dean, what did you do to Castiel?" A voice over Dean's shoulder asked, sounding incredibly amused. Cas immediately stopped laughing, and his eyes shot up to see who was there. He breathed out a huge sigh of relief when he realized that it was just Dean's little brother, Sam and he relaxed into his seat.

* * *

Dean grinned at this little brother, puffing out his chest proudly. The first few times he had lunch with Cas, it was hard to get him to smile even a little bit, let alone full out laugh. He seemed to really be loosening up around Dean though, and Dean just hoped that what he planned to ask today would just make things even better.

"Hey Sammy. I think I broke him." Dean said, looking over at his friend. Cas was wiping his watering eyes with his hands, and appeared startled by the moisture. He studied his hands intently for several seconds, as if trying to decide whether to tears were real or some sort of illusion. "Dude, I made him laugh so hard that he cried." Dean told Sam happily, his smile stretching even wider, if that were at all possible.

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother but smiled at Cas, saying, "Hi, Castiel. I don't know how you put up with him."

Cas looked up from where he wiped his hands against his pants and said, "Hello, Sam. Your brother is fairly good company."

"Fairly good?!" Dean demanded, putting a hand to his heart and giving Cas a wounded expression. Cas gave Dean a blank face in response, the corners of his mouth twitching slightly as he fought a smile. Dean turned back to Sam, jutting his lower lip out in a pout. "Did you hear what he said, Sammy?"

Sam snorted and rolled his eyes at his brother's typical over dramatic attitude. "Dean, I just came over to let you know that I'm going to Madison's house after school today."

"Did you ask Bobby?" Dean asked. He knew Sam probably did, he was the responsible one after all, but Dean was the older brother and it was his job to make sure that Sam was doing what he was supposed to.

Sam gave Dean a look and rolled his eyes again. "Yes. He said it's fine."

"Good. Is he picking you up later?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to go eat lunch so I'll see you later." Sam said, hurrying over to his usual table. He threw a quick wave over his shoulder and Dean waved back, shaking his head at his brother.

Dean turned around to face Cas, a small grin on his face. Cas was wearing a more typically stoic expression. "Who's Bobby?" Cas asked, tilting his head slightly.

Dean frowned. It hadn't occurred to him that he neglected mentioned Bobby yet. Although, that actually wasn't that surprising. Dean wasn't much of a sharing-and-caring type of guy. He like to laugh and joke around, and make other people laugh but when it came to feelings and stuff, Dean left that to Sammy.

"Bobby's the guy Sam and me live with." Dean explained. He frowned, realizing how incredibly strange that sounded, and added, "He's like a father to us. He took us in when our parents died."

Cas frowned and put down the M&M he had been about to eat. "I didn't know your parents died." He said, his voice more somber than usual. A fact which, until just now, Dean didn't think he would be able to believe.

Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat, feeling an unpleasant heat go through his entire body. His eyes drifted down to his lap where his fingers began picking at a loose strand on his jeans absently. He hated talking about his parents. Most of his friends knew the basics but Dean only told them the absolute bare minimum and left it at that. He refused to speak about it to anyone, even Bobby and Sam. It was something that Dean vowed to keep buried for the rest of his life.

Dean's eyes flickered back up and he reluctantly brought them up to meet Cas's. Cas's head was tilted slightly, and he was giving Dean one of the most compassionate looks he had ever seen. Dean thanked God it wasn't pitying. Dean hated it when people found out about his parents and immediately assumed he was some sad, lonely child with a buttload of issues. Regardless of whether or not that was true, Dean didn't like people thinking that way about him.

Dean's gaze shifted from Cas's unusually moist eyes to his full, slightly parted lips. He was the picture of compassion, and it looked as if he actually felt for what Dean had went through. Not just felt bad for him the way people normally did, but it was almost as if Cas could understand the full extent of Dean's pain, and it hurt him to think that Dean had had to suffer in that way.

Licking his lips nervously, Dean turned his jade eyes around the cafeteria to make sure that no one was listening to their conversation. He would die if anyone over heard him talking about this subject.

He had the overwhelming urge to confide in Cas. Dean never told anyone the full extent of what happened, of what he went through that night. Not even Sam and Bobby knew everything, not really. It was something that had been building up inside Dean for a long time, and he thought that maybe Cas was the right person to tell.

"I, uh..." Dean cleared his throat, his eyes going to Cas's once more.

Cas's eyes softened at Dean's visible distress, and the light blue of his irises seemed to darken. Hesitantly, Cas reached across the table and placed two fingers on Dean's arm. The touch was feather light, but it was warm and real. Something about it felt so right to Dean, as if this simple touch, this one connection was something he was subconsciously searching for his entire life.

"It's okay, Dean. You can confide in me." Cas spoke quietly but purposefully, his eyes never wavering from Dean's face.

Dean gulped and stared back, feeling as though the intensity of their gazes caused the air between them to heat up and become charged with electricity. It seemed to crackle between them, and a similar feeling was radiating from Cas's fingers. It was the most intense and pleasant experience of Dean's life, and he did not want it to end.

"When I was four, my house caught on fire. My mom and dad were asleep in their room so I went in and I- I tried to wake them up. My dad woke up and he told me to grab Sam and get out of the house and not to come back in. I grabbed Sam from his nursery he was only like 6 months old then- and I booked ass outside. I waited but they never came outside. A neighbor called the fire department." Dean explained as quickly as he could. Now that he was finally decided to tell someone, he needed to force the words out of his lungs as quickly as possible before he changed his mind. "Everyone knows that part of the story. But... I never told anyone this." Dean confessed, his troubled eyes seeking out Cas's consoling ones before he continued. "My mom and dad had a fight the night before they died. It was a really bad one. They were both really drunk and screaming at each other... I was really scared, Cas." Dean's voice broke, his lip quivering with the force of his suppressed emotions. Dean licked his lips and shook his head, letting out a humorless laugh. Getting a tighter grip on his emotions, Dean finished, "Anyways, I think that's why they didn't get out of the house in time. Mom was still passed out and Dad probably couldn't carry her out, he was probably still drunk."

Dean still had nightmares about that night. He still remembered what they were fighting about, though he refused to ever think about that part of the night or tell anyone about it, ever. Not even Cas. He could still feel the heat of the fire on his skin sometimes, how bright it was that night against the dark sky. Dean could remember his father's voice, yelling to _take Sam outside as fast as you can and don't look back. Now, Dean, go!_

"I'm so sorry, Dean." Cas said, and out of all the people Dean had recited this story to- albeit a much shorter, less detailed version- he never believed anyone meant it as strongly as Cas did.

Dean nodded, clearing his throat. Cas removed his fingers from Dean's sleeve and resumed eating his M&M's, not wanting to push the subject, for which Dean was unbelievably grateful. "It's fine. I barely remember them and Bobby's really awesome. You should meet him. Castiel's eyes widened in surprise and he almost choked on his M&M. Dean laughed at the sight, wishing he had a camera to capture the moment.

"You want me to meet him?" Cas asked, his tone oddly disbelieving. Dean wondered what was so shocking about that.

"Yeah. I was thinking that you could come over after school today since it's a Friday. We could watch some movies and hang out." Dean said, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly. He didn't want Cas to think that this was a big deal and get all worked up about it. Dean wasn't an idiot, he could tell that Cas wasn't interested in him that way. And even if he was, it would be a very, very long time before he would be willing to even admit it considering everything Dean knew about his family. But knowing all of that wasn't going to stop Dean from trying to get closer to Cas, even if it was just as friends. Dean would take him however he could get him.

"I... I don't know." Cas murmmered hesitantly, his eyes suddenly cloudy and downcast.

Dean frowned, his heart sinking. He had thought over this conversation with days, trying to find the exact right way to bring up his question and phrase it to make Cas say yes. He wanted to spend time with him, get to know him, and he couldn't do that sitting in school. Dean had worried endlessly over the past few days about what he would do if Cas said no, but that was just normal anxiety. He never actually thought that Cas might legitimately not want to spend time with him outside of school.

"Hey, it's cool man. You don't have to if you don't want to." Dean muttered dejectedly, his eyes falling away from Cas's face and onto his half-empty tray of food. It all suddenly looked very unappetizing, and Dean pushed it away resolutely.

"Dean, it isn't that. I want to, but I'm not sure my parents will let me." Cas admitted, his cheeks blushing in embarrassment. Dean nodded. From what Cas told him, his parents were a bunch of psycho-religious-freaks. They were crazy over the top. Seriously, they didn't even let the guy eat candy for God's sake! Pun fully intended.

Dean sighed and cast his mind around for a solution. He hadn't thought about Cas's parents when he planned to ask him over, his thoughts had been on Cas only. Now though, an idea popped into Dean's mind easily and he grinned at the simplicity of it. "Why don't you just tell them that you're staying after school to work on homework or a project?"

Cas's eyes shot up to Dean's before they darted away. Dean frowned as Cas squirmed uncomfortably, wondering what could possibly be wrong with such an easy plan. "Dean... I've never lied to my parents before." Castiel admitted quietly. It was absolutely true. He had always been too terrified of his parents to lie to them. They always told him that lying was a sin, and punishments for sinning in their household were harsh.

Dean's eyes almost bugged out of their sockets at that. "You've never lied to them before? Ever?" He asked incredulously. Cas shook his head, his eyes mournful at the inconvenience of his inexperience. Dean sat back, thoroughly shocked. It wasn't like he made lying to Bobby an everyday habit or anything, but it certainly happened. Dean didn't think it was possible to survive life without lying to your parents sometimes. Making up his mind about what to do next was easy, Dean just hoped that Cas would go along with it.

Dean sat forward and rested his arms on the table. He glanced around, as he saw Cas doing so many times in the past, before gesturing forward with his fingers. Cas's eyes widened and he did a sweep of his own before leaning in as well, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed hard.

"Good thing you're with me, Cas, 'cause I'm a great teacher." Dean whispered conspiratorially, smirking.

"You're going to teach me to lie to my parents?" Cas asked, his tone strangely deadpan. His arms, which were stretched across the table next to Dean's, were twitching slightly, though from excitement or nervousness Dean couldn't tell.

"Hell yes." Dean responded, grinning at the small glare Cas gave him for the language. "If you want me to." Dean amended. He didn't want to push Cas into anything, although he was fairly certain that this particular push was long overdue.

Cas looked around the room once more, his tongue darting out to lick his lips nervously. He finally turned back to look at Dean, his eyes sparkling with excitement "Okay. Let's do it."

* * *

"This feels ridiculous." Cas complained later that day. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Dean, feeling severely uncomfortable with this plan.

"Trust me, Cas, it'll help." Dean said, his tone brooking no room for argument. "Now, let's start over."

Cas sighed, hating this lying training already. They had only been at it for a few minutes, but Cas was certain that he was never going to get it. He and Dean were sitting in their usual seats in the back of the room during their shared Art History class. It was the only elective that fit into Cas's schedule, so he had no choice but to take it. The teacher was considered one of the easiest in the school however, and everyone took it to get an Easy A. They spent the first fifteen minutes of every class talking about old artists and looking at some of their paintings, then spent the last half hour as a study hall.

And during the last half hour of today's class, Dean was trying to teach Cas how to lie. Needless to say, it wasn't going so well.

"Dean, this is never going to work." Cas huffed, his voice dangerously close to a whine. He was helplessly frustrated. It was impossible for him to lie to Dean, let alone to his mother. Dean assured him that it would be easy with his mother, especially since he would be asking permission over the phone after school, but Cas wasn't so sure.

"C'mon, Cas. You just have to loosen up, that's all. It's easy, watch." Dean held out a blank piece of paper towards Cas, who gazed at it in confusion. "I'm holding an apple." Dean said with a completely straight face, and Cas frowned in utter bewilderment.

"Dean, that is not an apple. It is a blank piece of paper." Cas corrected his friend immediately, wondering what was wrong with him.

Dean rolled his eyes and sighed, then placed the paper back down on the desk. "I was demonstrating lying." He said, exasperated.

"Oh." Cas said, his cheeks heating up.

"Come on, let's try again. I'll be your, Mom, okay?" Dean said. He arranged his fingers into the classic phone shape and held them up to his ear. Making his voice go obnoxiously high, Dean pretended to answer, "Hello?"

Cas rolled his eyes and felt his entire face flush. He looked around quickly to make sure no one was listening to this atrocity. "Dean, you would never be able to accurately portray my mother." Cas said seriously. Dean really should take that as a compliment.

Dean gave Cas a severe look and said, "Fine. Let's just go through what you're going to tell her, okay?"

Cas nodded, his forehead scrunching in concentration. "I'm going to tell her that I was just assigned a project that requires me to work in the library after school."

"Good." Dean said, nodding encouragingly. "And?"

"And that I will be home in time for supper because my study partner will be giving me a ride home." Cas recited, his stomach tingling nervously.

"See, you'll be fine." The bell rang noisily overhead and Dean grinned. Cas's eyes widened as he realized what he was about to do and he shook his head frantically, speechless with fear. "Don't worry, Cas. I'll be there the whole time." Dean assured his friend. Dean reached down and grasped the motionlessly boy by the shoulder and hauled him out of his seat.

Cas could no nothing but follow as he was dragged out of the classroom, down the hall and into the office. His heart was beating a million miles a minute and he was sweating profusely. Cas couldn't go through with it. His mother would know he was lying in an instant and when she found out she would kill him. Dean didn't understand the full extent of what this meant. Cas couldn't disobey his mother or her rules, and that included lying to her. He couldn't. There was no possible way-

Cas stared numbly at the office phone that Dean pressed into his hand. He couldn't do this. His head was dizzy with fear and his palms sticky with sweat. Cas raised pleading eyes onto Dean, who stared back at him with confusion.

"What is it?" Dean asked, noticing Cas's extreme nervousness for the first time.

Cas licked his lips and opened his mouth to blurt out how much he was not prepared to do this, how it wouldn't work, his mother would catch him, but snapped his mouth shut. Dean's perfect, intense jade eyes were flickering between his with worry and a bit of fear, as if wondering if he had done something wrong. He was worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, a habit which Cas noticed now Dean did a lot, and his eyebrows were drawn together unhappily.

Cas hated that he was the reason that that look was on Dean's face. He knew how disappointed Dean would be if he didn't go through with this. Dean would feel rejected, and Cas didn't want to be the cause of that. He didn't want to hurt Dean.

Taking a deep breath, Cas wordlessly dialed his home number and put the phone up to his ear. Dean nodded encouragingly, though he still looked worried, and Cas let out the breath nervously.

His stomach was fluttering so badly that it was actually starting to hurt and with the way his hands were sweating and trembling, Cas was surprised that he was able to hold the phone steady.

_Hello? _

At the sound of his mother's voice, Cas almost hung up the phone right then and there. Instead, he kept his eyes on Dean's and responded, "Mother, would it be alright if I stayed after school today? I was assigned a project that requires me to do research in the library."

There was a momentary silence on the other line and Cas's heart seized with panic. She must know! Cas knew that she would find out! He was stupid to think that this would ever work. He was doomed...

_Fine, just make sure you're home for supper. _

"I will. My study partner is giving me a ride home." Cas said, his eyes going impossibly wide. She believed him? Dean punched a fist in the air victoriously and his entire face lit up with a smile that Cas decided made all of this anxiety worth it.

_Very well. Behave yourself._

"I will. Goodbye." Castiel hung up the phone and handed it back to the secretary with shaking hands. He turned his stunned gaze onto Dean, who immediately clapped a hand on his shoulder and let out a loud, uproarious laugh.

"Dude, I thought you were going to pass out back there! But she said yes!"

A slow grin stretched out across Cas's face as he realized what this meant. She couldn't tell he was lying, and she hasn't been able to tell what he's been thinking lately. It made Cas wonder what else she wouldn't be able to notice.

Instead of voicing these thoughts aloud, Cas turned to Dean with a grin and asked, "Do you have more peanut M&M's at your house?"

* * *

And that's all for this chapter, folks!

**Please Review!**

Also, just in case any of you were worried, John and Mary weren't always drunk. That was just an unfortunate, one-time thing.


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